Reducing cost is always a priority for building managers, providing it does not have any negative effect on their external or internal inhabitants. Adding to the desire for savings, there is stakeholder pressure on management to not only be financially adept but also eco-friendly in an array of business operations. Energy as a unique operating expense, provides multiple avenues of opportunities for savings, has few, if any, downsides for users and generally results in a positive environmental effect. Due to all of these reasons, energy efficiency in BMS systems is simply gradually becoming a hot topic of discussion.
Energy Audits Can Result In Cost Savings
Why? In simple terms because the independent auditors offering the energy audit are on the customer’s side. In other words, they provide an unbiased opinion of the current state of the infrastructure being considered. Similarly, standards-based energy audits add an element of authenticity because they are based on measurement and verification (M&V) rather than rough estimates. This point is really important because it instantly adds credibility to any ROI estimates where even a small discrepancy can have a huge impact on costs over the 15- to the 25-year lifecycle of, say, a piece of equipment like a chiller.
Promotes Efficiency In Operations
It would be an understatement to suggest that energy savings are simply a matter of audit, make upgrades and reduce costs, because as any good facilities manager knows, optimized operations are also key. For example, building management systems could consider the adoption of technologies such as smart technology and building automation to help lower costs and in turn optimize productivity. When energy-efficient equipment comes together with smooth operations, it is good for business as well as the plant. Contemporary smart building trends to watch out for include -
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Air Quality Monitoring
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Smart Lighting
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Security
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Access Control
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Predictive Maintenance
If you’d like assistance in preparing a business case to upgrade electrical and compressed air equipment, or if you’d like to find out more about energy audits, #SchneiderElectric are leading specialists in energy management. You could even explore the diverse range of solutions in the domain of smart technology and building automation to help expand productivity and efficiency. The solutions which smart buildings can offer are just bound to grow in the near future - to completely alter the way we live and function. Concepts such as cyber-security, energy management, and even smart grids can benefit greatly from smart technology #LifeIsOn
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